Celebrating Artist Steve Rude

Celebrating legendary artist Steve Rude on his birthday (December 31st, 1956) with his two painted covers featuring Wonder Woman for Legends Of The DC Universe #4 and #5 (May and June, 1998).

 

Merry Christmas With Sugar And Spike

A Merry Christmas to one and all, and may Santa Claus have left you many a gift, as he surely did for talking babies Sugar Plumm and Spike Wilson in Sugar and Spike #56 (December-January, 1964/1965) by Sheldon Mayer....

...and check here to see them with their Christmas presents!

Harley Quinn Steals Christmas

Here's to hoping you don't have a Harley Quinn near your house this evening...

...as you wouldn't want her to take Rudolph and Santa Claus' Christmas presents like she did on this Frank Cho cover to Harley Quinn #68 (February, 2020).

A Mary Marvel Christmas

Celebrate Christmas with Mary Marvel, as she does on this cover to Mary Marvel #8 (December, 1946) by Jack Binder.

Today is also the birthday of Mary Batson, the alter ego of Mary Marvel, who calls her super powered self into existence by calling the name of the wizard, Shazam!

Alf's Trouble With Santa

Poor Alf can't catch a break even around Christmas.  

The little alien from Melmac makes the trip to the North Pole, but can't find a job with Santa Claus, as seen on this cover to the Alf Holiday Special #1 (Winter, 1989) by Dave Manak.

Celebrating Superman The Movie

45 years ago, you could go to a movie theater and believe a man could fly.

That was when Superman the Movie was released to the general public...

...with Christopher Reeve as Superman, looking quite heroic as the title character (and amusing as his alter ego, Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for the Daily Planet).  

Supported by Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen and Jackie Cooper as Perry White, and facing Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, as well as Marlon Brando as Jor-El and Glenn Ford as Pa Kent, this well loved movie, directed by Richard Donner, with music by John Williams, defined the big budget super hero movie for generations.

DC Comics celebrated this release with a special treasury sized comic, the All-New Collectors' Edition #C-62 (March, 1979), with features encapsulating the history of Superman's comic cast, as well as behind the scenes pictures of the movie covering cast as well as locations such as Krypton, the Phantom Zone, Smallville, the Fortress Of Solitude and Metropolis.

One of the most important parts of the movie was how much (especially Christopher Reeve) captured the look of the comic, with his costume...or, to quote a character from the movie: "Say, Jim...That's a bad outfit".

Remembering Artist Dan DeCarlo

Remembering artist Dan DeCarlo on his birthday (December 12, 1919 - December 2001) with a couple of Christmas covers, with Archie surprising Betty and Veronica for Christmas in Archie Giant Series Magazine #536 (January, 1984) and in Archie Giant Series Magazine #558 (January, 1986).

Remembering Artist Matt Baker

Remembering artist Matt Baker on his birthday (December 10, 1921 - August 11, 1959).  

Known for his good girl art, Matt drew Phantom Lady for Fox in the 1940s, and is well remembered for his work (even if the cover of issue #17 was used in Frederic Wertham's persecution of the comic industry).

Phantom Lady #13 and #14 (August and October, 1947)

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Phantom Lady #15 and #16 (December 1947 and February, 1948)

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Phantom Lady #17 and #18 (April and June, 1948)

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Phantom Lady #19 and #20 (August and October, 1948)

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Phantom Lady #21 (December, 1948)

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National Cookie Day 2023

Celebrating National Cookie Day today, but hopefully you have better cookies than the Christmas cookies Veronica has, as Betty points out to Archie and Reggie, on this cover to Archie and Friends #45 (February, 2001) by Rex Lindsey.

Celebrating Artist Frank Cho

Celebrating artist Frank Cho on his birthday (December 2, 1971)...

... with his covers for the 7 issue Shanna The She-Devil mini-series for Marvel Knights from 2005, which he both wrote and drew.

Shanna The She-Devil #1 and #2 (April and May, 2005)

Shanna The She-Devil #3 and #4 (June and July, 2005)

Shanna The She-Devil #5 and #6 (August and September, 2005)

Shanna The She-Devil #7 (October, 2005)

A slightly more risque look at this 1970s fan favorite queen of the jungle, with dinosaurs and just a hint of outrage!

Sgt. Rock With War's Christmas Present

A grim reminder, headed into the holiday season, that war is still with us, and the only winner in war is death, with this cover to Sgt. Rock #21 (February, 1992) by Joe Kubert.

A careful reminder of the balance that must be maintained, fighting for the right, but not descending into evil ourselves.

Not much of a Christmas present for readers either, this, the last issue of this run of Sgt. Rock specials, featuring reprints of classic tales, with this issue including tales from Our Army At War #236, #257, and #262, including two Sgt. Rock tales from Our Army At War #228 (February, 1971) and Our Army At War #271 (August, 1974), also with covers by Kubert.

Celebrating Artist Jerry Ordway

Celebrating artist Jerry Ordway's birthday (November 28, 1957), with a pair of Secret Origins covers that represent his career as well.

Jerry's earliest work involved both the All-Star Squadron and Infinity, Inc. (heavily focused on Earth-2, and the Justice Society of America), so the Hawkman/Power Girl cover shows that nicely.  After these issues, Jerry also spent many a year working on Superman titles (not to mention inking the Golden Age Superman in Crisis On Infinite Earths), so these covers are nice to help to sum up years of joy at looking at the work of Jerry Ordway, not only from the 1980s, but even today, as this variant Justice Society of America cover shows!

 

Richie Rich Black Friday

Be careful out there today using your credit card for purchases on Black Friday...

...as, unlike Richie Rich, you don't have unlimited funds to spend and a plethora of credit cards, as Richie has on this cover to Richie Rich Success Stories #40 (October, 1971).

Happy Thanksgiving 2023

May you have a happy Thanksgiving with all your friends and family, but don't pull a Jughead and hog the turkey...

...like Jughead is trying on this cover to The New Archies #11 (January, 1989) by Henry Scarpelli and Rudy Lapick.

 

Remembering Artist Steve Lightle

Though Steve Lightle (November 19, 1959 - January 8, 2021) only worked briefly on the Doom Patrol, helping to bring back the title in the 1980s (starting in October, 1987)....

...his 5 issues were pretty memorable, and only make you wish that he could have done more (especially his work on Cliff Steele...the Robotman, as well as introducing readers to Lodestone and Karma!).

Doom Patrol #2 and #3 (November and December, 1987)

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Doom Patrol #4 and #5 (January and February, 1988)

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Still, we remember Steve, and honor his work!

Army At War

DC was trying something new in 1978 (at least according to the cover blurb....) with Army At War #1 (October-November, 1978)...an anthology title, focusing on not only World War II, but also the Revolutionary War and the Vietnam War.

But, even with an incredible Joe Kubert cover, this comic lost the war against sales, as, in the midst of the DC Implosion, it was cancelled after its first issue.

Still, DC did have a couple of war titles that had switched from anthologies, Sgt. Rock and the Unknown Soldier!

Superman Salutes Our Veterans

Technically, it is Lois Lane who is saluting our veterans on this classic cover for Superman #29 (July-August, 1944) by Wayne Boring and George Roussos, but Superman is watching approvingly.

As always, we appreciate all our armed forces do for us!

Celebrating Artist Jim Steranko

Celebrating artist Jim Steranko on his birthday (November, 5, 1938) with his all too few Captain America covers.

While his run on that iconic hero didn't last long, like most of the work he did, it was influential, from the addition of Madame Hydra to the mythos, as well as an often homaged cover.

Strange Tales #159 and Captain America #110 (August, 1967 and, February 1969)

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Captain America #111 and #113 (March and May, 1969)

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A bonus Strange Tales cover featuring Captain America vs. Nick Fury, as Steranko's work there is also fondly thought of...and a little of it here!

 

Robin Vs The Clock

For a time, Robin had a solo feature in Star Spangled Comics.

In that feature, Robin even had a few of his own foes...and one of the most frequent was the Clock!

Starting in Star Spangled Comics #70 (July, 1947) by Don Cameron and Win Mortimer, the Clock was a menace to the Boy Wonder with his "Clocks Of Doom!", returning with "The Clock Strikes!" in Star Spangled Comics #74 (November, 1947) by Bill Finger and Jim Mooney, again for "Zero Hour!" in Star Spangled Comics #79 (April, 1948), also by Finger and Mooney, and a last tick for "The Man Who Stole Time!" with Star Spangled Comics #97 (October, 1949, with Tomahawk on the cover) by Finger/Mooney.

Star Spangled Comics #70 and #74 (July and November, 1947)

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Star Spangled Comics #79 and #97 (April, 1948 and October, 1949)

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A timely villain for the day, and amazing he wasn't part of the Time Foes, and find out where these are reprinted here!

War Chess

Still a little horror, both supernatural as well as real, with this Ernie Chan cover to Weird War Tales #43 (November-December, 1975)...

...showcasing the idea that, while war might be necessary, the only winners are the chess masters behind it...

...death.

 

Happy Halloween 2023

A happy Halloween to all!

May your holiday be filled with more treats than tricks, as Catwoman found on this Joshua Middleton cover for Catwoman #35 (December, 2014).

Remembering Artist Bernie Wrightson

Remembering artist Bernie Wrightson on his birthday (October 27, 1948 - March 18, 2017), with a spectacular cover he did...for DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #4 (1971).

While the Weird Mystery Tales inside the book didn't have anything to do with Bernie (the original Swamp Thing tale, read about it here, just came out before this), Bernie did provide art for some segues between the stories, as well as a special story (and the back cover was the front, without the trade dress).

Macabre Mystery/Eerie Adventure

Monsters/Science Fiction

Childhood Haunt/Back Cover

In case you need to know, the reprinted stories in this Spectacular are from: 

My Greatest Adventure #8 (March-April, 1956), Sensation Mystery #116 (July-August, 1953), My Greatest Adventure #14 (March-April, 1957), House Of Secrets #2 (January-February, 1957), My Greatest Adventure #12 (November-December, 1956), Sensation Mystery #110 (July-August, 1952) with Johnny Peril, Phantom Stranger #1 (August-September, 1952) with Phantom Stranger, My Greatest Adventure #20 (March-April, 1958), My Greatest Adventure #15 (May-June, 1957), Tales Of The Unexpected #15 (July, 1957), Tales Of The Unexpected #24 (April, 1958) and House Of Mystery #49 (April, 1956).

 

 

Mystery In Space Change

Mystery In Space was a somewhat later arrival into the horror genre, not that some of its earliest stories couldn't fit easily into that genre...but after a lengthy run with Earthman in space Adam Strange (starting in Mystery In Space #53 of August, 1959) and future cop Space Ranger (starting with Mystery In Space #92 of June, 1964), the title gave up the ghost with Mystery In Space #110 (September, 1966) with Ultra the Multi-Alien.

Still, even Adam Strange and Space Ranger would not have foreseen that Mystery In Space would return with issue #111 in September, 1980...

...with a short run of horror related space stories, usually with a cover by Joe Kubert.

Mystery In Space #112 and #113 (October and November, 1980)

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Mystery In Space #114 and #115 (December, 1980 and January, 1981)

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Mystery In Space #116 and #117 (February and March, 1981)